1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a video camera forming digital signals representing an object projected on an imaging device and, more particularly, to a video camera having a signal processing circuit for performing digital signal processing on output signals of the imaging device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A so-called separate type video camera, includes a camera head unit (CHU) having an imaging device and a camera control unit (CCU) having an analog signal processing circuit, such as an encoder, for producing composite video signals in a standard television format, such as the NTSC system, from, an imaging output supplied from the camera head unit, and a control signal generator for generating control signals supplied to the camera head unit. The camera head unit and camera control unit are interconnected by a multi-core camera cable, is disclosed in, for example, the Japanese Patent KOKAI Publication No. 2-280580 (1990).
There is also known a video camera not provided with a CCU, that is, provided only with a camera/head unit having a signal processing circuit such as an encoder, or a synchronization signal generator, enclosed therein, and adapted for outputting composite video signals in a standard television format.
These conventional video cameras are adapted for outputting analog composite video signals and analog luminance and color difference signals.
Recently, digital electronic equipment, such as a digital video tape recorder (VTR) for recording and/or reproducing video signals in the form of digital signals, have become popular.
However, with conventional video cameras, the output signals of an imaging device are processed using analog signal processing for outputting the video in the form of analog video signals, so that, when interconnecting a video camera and a digital VTR, for example, it becomes necessary to provide an analog to digital converter at an interface between the camera and the VTR. There is also a problem in that signal deterioration may be produced in a transmission line between the video camera and the analog to digital converter, through which the analog signals are transmitted.